NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 12 – Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) women’s volleyball team coach Japheth Munala believes his team are huge favourites for the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) league title after thrashing Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in a match held on Saturday at Makande Indoor Gymnasium in Mombasa.
The African champions lost their first match of the fourth leg of the league – a 3-1 loss to Kenya Pipeline on Friday – but recovered their groove against the detectives, winning in sets of 25-21, 25-12 and 25-16.
With their place in the playoffs already secured, Munala was quick to fire a warning shot at their opponents, insisting that the lionesses will not hesitate to maul any opponent who stands in their path to another title.
“I am telling you that KCB remains a force to reckon with. Simba anaweza kuwa amenyeshewa lakini bado ni simba (A lion may be rained on but it still remains a lion). We are here to roar and to win the title. We have worked on our mistakes and we continue to do so until we are perfect,” Munala said.
Despite the emphatic win, Muniala was quick to clarify that the victory was a product of luck as well as adequate preparations after their disappointing opener against Kenya Pipeline.
“This is a team we have never played against and we did not have enough information about them. We knew that they had the capability of troubling all the other teams so we had to be adequately prepared for the match. Remember, they signed four of our former players and fielded them today. If we had played against Kenya Pipeline the way the we did today, the we would have won,” Munala reflected.
Speaking at the same time, national team captain Mercy Moim described the win as a morale booster as they head into the playoffs.
“It was a must-win game for us…we really needed the three points but knew it wouldn’t be easy considering the caliber of DCI players. After our loss against Kenya Pipeline, we as the players went back to the drawing board to identify and analyse the mistakes we had made, majorly, in our serves,” the opposite attacker said.
Moim further believes there is immense room for the team to grow as the older players shephered the younger ones.
“As KCB, we believe in ourselves…we are looking forward to competing in the playoffs. We trust in God even as we work on our weak areas like the blocks and the service. If we manage to polish on that, I believe the title is ours,” she said.
The bankers’ next face Kenya Prisons and Kenya Army on Sunday as the fourth leg of the league come to a close.
The fifth leg of the league will be held at the Koitalel Samoei University College in Nandi on December 9.
